Happy Condom Day!
They sure know how to have fun in Nepal. I can't believe it's been ten years, can you?
KATHMANDU, Nov 2 (OneWorld) - On October 30, the Nepalese people celebrated something very unusual, a Condom Day, to spread awareness on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and population control. Interestingly, the Condom Day is being celebrated all over Nepal for the last ten years and has not only seen participation but also acceptance among the conservative Nepalese society. Parents allow their children, including girls to participate in the celebrations. As a school girl from a Kathmandu school put it: "My parents do not object to my participation in the Condom Day events." The day, which is celebrated on the first Saturday after Dashain, – a major festival of the Nepalese Hindus - was started in 1995 at the national level by the Nepal Red Cross. The Condon Day is an offshoot of the Reproductive Health Project of the Nepal Red Cross during the early nineties, which disseminated information on contraception in five districts. The head of communication of the Nepal Red Cross, Bijay Dahal, says: "Workers in Udaipur district decided to hold an exclusive event on the condom in 1993. Inspired by its success, we decided to hold the Condom Day in 1994 in all the five districts under the Reproductive Health Project. And finally in 1995, we launched it nation-wide and now it is celebrated in all the 75 districts of Nepal." Promoted by the Nepal Red Cross, the day has the backing of various non governmental organizations and the health department of the Nepal government. Dahal says: "Nearly 60 organizations are involved in the celebrations. The day has been a huge success as people have accepted and taken note of the importance of using condoms." The CRS Company, which was set up in 1978 to sell contraceptives through social marketing, estimates that nearly 45-50 million condoms are dispensed in Nepal. Managing director Shanker Raj Pandey says: "Nearly 20-25 million condoms are given free by the public sector. Another 20-25 million are dispensed through social marketing and nearly five million are sold through the private sector." But marketing condoms has not been an easy task. People harbour many misconceptions. Pandey elaborates: "People nurture a feeling that condoms are to be used outside marriage and not in marriage. There is a barrier between a husband and a wife over using condoms." Inducing behavior change in the society has not been easy. In Nepalgunj, which is dominated by Muslims, the approach was very different. Pandey says: "We spoke to the Muslim leaders and informed them about health. We did not speak to them about contraception but about AIDS and other diseases, and the condoms were accepted in the area." A country of 23.1 million people, Nepal has 4,800 people infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. The country saw its first AIDS death in 1988. the director of the Youth Department, Pitambar Aryal, says: "The Nepal Red Cross started the AIDS programme in 1994. Many positive people's organizations have come up and are helping in information dissemination openly, something which they could not do earlier." A big achievement for the Condom Day is that it unites all stakeholders and allows people to discuss AIDS, contraception and reproductive health. The celebrations in old Kathmandu roped in school children, positive people, NGO workers and also sex workers. Various estimates put the number of sex workers in the Kathmandu valley between 5,000 to 10,000 and nearly 10 to 15 organizations work with them on health and awareness. Exact numbers are difficult to compile because "prostitution is illegal in Nepal and also there is no red light area," says an employee of Centre for Development and Population Activities, which participated in the celebrations. The project coordinator of a Kathmandu-based NGO - General Welfare Pratishthan - Bharat Raut, says: "There are various kinds of sex workers. Most are those who work at the street level. Another segment is those who work as bar maids and in cabin restaurants. Another category consists of exclusive and upmarket sex workers." The General Welfare Pratishthan is working with nearly 3,000 sex workers. It has opened up drop-in centres where the women come and avail of health facilities and counseling. One of the enthusiastic sex workers at the Condom Day celebrations, Manmaya, (not her real name) who has been in the profession for the last three years, says: "I have seen a big change in the attitude of the clients and some men have even started bringing condoms." Manmaya now feels empowered enough to even persuade her clients to use condoms and tell them about AIDS and related diseases. She has also taken up peer-to-peer education – thanks to strenuous advocacy efforts by the NGOs.
KATHMANDU, Nov 2 (OneWorld) - On October 30, the Nepalese people celebrated something very unusual, a Condom Day, to spread awareness on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and population control. Interestingly, the Condom Day is being celebrated all over Nepal for the last ten years and has not only seen participation but also acceptance among the conservative Nepalese society. Parents allow their children, including girls to participate in the celebrations. As a school girl from a Kathmandu school put it: "My parents do not object to my participation in the Condom Day events." The day, which is celebrated on the first Saturday after Dashain, – a major festival of the Nepalese Hindus - was started in 1995 at the national level by the Nepal Red Cross. The Condon Day is an offshoot of the Reproductive Health Project of the Nepal Red Cross during the early nineties, which disseminated information on contraception in five districts. The head of communication of the Nepal Red Cross, Bijay Dahal, says: "Workers in Udaipur district decided to hold an exclusive event on the condom in 1993. Inspired by its success, we decided to hold the Condom Day in 1994 in all the five districts under the Reproductive Health Project. And finally in 1995, we launched it nation-wide and now it is celebrated in all the 75 districts of Nepal." Promoted by the Nepal Red Cross, the day has the backing of various non governmental organizations and the health department of the Nepal government. Dahal says: "Nearly 60 organizations are involved in the celebrations. The day has been a huge success as people have accepted and taken note of the importance of using condoms." The CRS Company, which was set up in 1978 to sell contraceptives through social marketing, estimates that nearly 45-50 million condoms are dispensed in Nepal. Managing director Shanker Raj Pandey says: "Nearly 20-25 million condoms are given free by the public sector. Another 20-25 million are dispensed through social marketing and nearly five million are sold through the private sector." But marketing condoms has not been an easy task. People harbour many misconceptions. Pandey elaborates: "People nurture a feeling that condoms are to be used outside marriage and not in marriage. There is a barrier between a husband and a wife over using condoms." Inducing behavior change in the society has not been easy. In Nepalgunj, which is dominated by Muslims, the approach was very different. Pandey says: "We spoke to the Muslim leaders and informed them about health. We did not speak to them about contraception but about AIDS and other diseases, and the condoms were accepted in the area." A country of 23.1 million people, Nepal has 4,800 people infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. The country saw its first AIDS death in 1988. the director of the Youth Department, Pitambar Aryal, says: "The Nepal Red Cross started the AIDS programme in 1994. Many positive people's organizations have come up and are helping in information dissemination openly, something which they could not do earlier." A big achievement for the Condom Day is that it unites all stakeholders and allows people to discuss AIDS, contraception and reproductive health. The celebrations in old Kathmandu roped in school children, positive people, NGO workers and also sex workers. Various estimates put the number of sex workers in the Kathmandu valley between 5,000 to 10,000 and nearly 10 to 15 organizations work with them on health and awareness. Exact numbers are difficult to compile because "prostitution is illegal in Nepal and also there is no red light area," says an employee of Centre for Development and Population Activities, which participated in the celebrations. The project coordinator of a Kathmandu-based NGO - General Welfare Pratishthan - Bharat Raut, says: "There are various kinds of sex workers. Most are those who work at the street level. Another segment is those who work as bar maids and in cabin restaurants. Another category consists of exclusive and upmarket sex workers." The General Welfare Pratishthan is working with nearly 3,000 sex workers. It has opened up drop-in centres where the women come and avail of health facilities and counseling. One of the enthusiastic sex workers at the Condom Day celebrations, Manmaya, (not her real name) who has been in the profession for the last three years, says: "I have seen a big change in the attitude of the clients and some men have even started bringing condoms." Manmaya now feels empowered enough to even persuade her clients to use condoms and tell them about AIDS and related diseases. She has also taken up peer-to-peer education – thanks to strenuous advocacy efforts by the NGOs.
posted by Don Diego de la Vega @ 3:47 PM
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